Should you buy a 2010 Mercedes Benz C 300?

In this blog, we find out if you should buy a 2010 Mercedes Benz C 300 and answer the following questions: what should you check before buying the 2010 C 300? 

Should you buy a 2010 Mercedes Benz C 300?

Yes, the 2010 C 300 is a great car and you should definitely buy one. Mercedes Benz 2010 C300 is the third-generation model. The third generation of C Class introduces a completely new design. Although the wheelbase was similar to the previous generation, the updated interior gave it a very spacious look. On the front, the iconic double barrel headlights were replaced by the robotic eye projector high-intensity discharge bulb. The front bumper grill was wider and featured horizontal lines like the high-end S Class. 

The 2010 C300 came with a massive 3.0 litres V6 petrol engine. Mercedes Benz completely reworked its V6 engine platform with M272. It produced 228 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque. There is a slight modification to the lower half of the oil pan in the C300 4-Matic model to accommodate the front differential and front left and right axles. 

The M272 was mated to either a 7-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual. The manual gearbox model is still sought out by many car enthusiasts and tuners. The V6 engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox in a compact sedan made a great combination. 

The 2010 C 300 rear-wheel-drive option was popular even though Mercedes Benz sold the C300 with an all-wheel-drive drivetrain. In 2010 the C class sales exceeded 1 million sales globally, it was the second most successful model in the Mercedes Ben lineup after the E class.

Mechanically, C 300 used MacPherson struts in the front-mounted lower control arms. It was a combination of independent and multi-link suspension with anti-roll bars present on both front and rear sides. The C 300 was perfectly tuned to offer a good combination of comfort as well as handling. Hydraulically assisted power steering with rack and pinion design provided good feedback from the road. The C 300 had 16-inch alloy rims with 205/55  tyres, depending on the trim Mercedes Benz provided wider tyres on the sports model. Some C300 are also equipped with an AMG trim including sports alloy wheels and low-profile tyres.

Following table show key specifications of the 2010 C 300

Specifications Mercedes Benz 2010 C 300
EngineM272 3.0 litre V6 petrol (NA)
Power 228 brake horsepower
transmission7 G-Tronic automatic transmission/ 6- speed manual
Fuel consumption9.4 litres/ 100km combined
Range 702 km
Top speed250 km/hr 
0-100 km/hr7.3 s
Curb weight1555 kg

What should you check before buying the 2010 C 300?

The Mercedes Benz 2010 C 300 was a well-designed car but it had its fair share of mechanical and electrical issues. Therefore, before buying a used 2010 C 300 following things must be checked:-

  • ABS/ESP malfunction

Turn on the ignition and check if there is an ESP inoperative message on the cluster. Sometimes even the ABS malfunction light will stay on while driving the car. ESP is an electronic stability program control unit and it uses four magnetic pickup wheel speed sensors to measure the wheel speed of all four wheels. The C300 is known to have ESP issues due to bad wheel speed sensors at the front left and right wheels. Mercedes Benz updated the parts and the problem was rectified after renewing the wheel speed sensors.

If the re[air work is performed at an authorised dealership then the vehicle history will have the records. If there is an ESP malfunction still present in the vehicle then it could be due to an internal fault in the  ESP control unit. 

A fault code will be stored in the fault frame memory of the ESP control unit and the remedy is to replace the entire control unit located on the hydraulic body. This issue is not widespread like the wheel speed sensor and one of the selected few models needs repairs.

  • Engine malfunction light

The engine malfunction light should not be active in the instrument cluster. The C 300 was powered by the M272 which was a reliable engine but it suffered from mixture adaptation and misfiring concerns. There is a hot-film air mass sensor before the throttle body on the variable intake manifold. The manifold has two gaskets, one for each bank and over time the gasket starts to leak. The leaky gasket will send unmetered air directly into the combustion chamber of the cylinder causing the mixture to get lean.

Even though the M272 has 4 lambda probes 2 on each bank, the Me engine control unit cannot adjust the mixture as the air is not measured by the air mass sensor. The remedy is to replace the intake manifold gaskets and check the air mass sensor for any damage. The vehicle history must show records of intake gasket replacement at least once otherwise, it is an added expense.

The parts are cheap but it is a labour-intensive job as the manifold is completely removed from the engine. Other mechanical faults include a worn-out balancer shaft gear in the engine. Mercedes Benz released a field measure to replace the part on the affected vehicle. The dealership has a list of the vehicle identification number and if the C 300 you are buying is one of the affected models then report to the authorised dealership for the repair job. Worn out balancer shaft led to abnormal noise coming from the engine and misfiring concerns.

  • No sound from the radio/ music player.

The C 300 used a sound amplifier connected to the audio 20 control unit. The audio 20 is a media system control unit and it is a master in the MOST network. The MOST communication protocol is used in the vehicle’s entertainment systems as it offers high data transfer speeds. The sound amplifier in the C 300 is located in the luggage compartment. The water seals in the trunk get compromised and the sound amplifier gets damaged due to excessive moisture. If the C 300 has no sound coming from speakers then the sound amplifier can be faulty and the replacement part is expensive.

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Conclusion

Despite a few mechanical and electrical issues in the 2010 Mercedes Benz C 300, there are some really good examples in the used car market. The price of a used 2010 Mercedes Benz C 300 can be as low as 25,000. It is one of the cheaper Mercedes Benz models to maintain and there are no major reliability issues even after years of use.